Saint John Communion and Liberation Beginning Day

Friends and Families of the Saint John Communion and Liberation community celebrated its first Beginning Day on Sunday October 21. The Beginning Day’s activities started with the celebration of Mass at Saint Peter’s Church. Following Mass, the assembly of friends and families gathered for a barbecue lunch and afternoon at the Roderick’s family’s summer cottage on the Saint John River. The afternoon encounter was highlighted by the beauty and peacefulness of the fall foliage and crisp cool air. Beginning Day is a time of friendship and fellowship whereby those interested in learning more about the mission and work of Communion and Liberation are invited to participate and share the lived experience of the CL community. Communion and Liberation was founded in Milan, Italy by Msgr. Luigi Giussani in 1954, as an initiative to provide integral catechesis and an experience of common life for young people. It took initial form as a youth branch of the Italian “Catholic Action” organization in the years immediately prior to Vatican II.
After a great feast of hamburgers, delicious appetizers and desserts, the children of the various families ran around and played either sports or with their dolls before going on a nature walk along the beach. The children’s nature walk enabled the parents to have some time to relax and take a little break from minding their kids. During the nature walk, the children got to see the beauty of the fall colors, and had great fun having a stone skipping contest, and finding a few shells and other cool washed ashore objects. At one point during the nature walk, one ambitious little boy pushed a twenty foot washed ashore tree back into the water. The childlike passion for life and wonder exhibited by the children was contagious and led to a few adults partaking in their games.
Later in the afternoon, the adults gathered together for a small encounter to learn more about the mission and work of Communion and Liberation. The meeting began with the singing of a song together, and followed with a presentation and discussion led by John Zucchi, who is the Head Responsible of Communion and Liberation for Canada. John Zucchi shared a few key insights into the life and history of the movement and about his personal experience following it. Following John Zucchi’s presentation, Barry and John Roderick each gave personal witnesses of their experience meeting the movement. Barry Roderick shared his experience of attending a CL national Diaconia in Boston with Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ. Whereas John Roderick shared learning the importance of asking Christ to reveal himself in the ordinary activities of daily life and praying to have the heart to be attentive to his presence. One of the beautiful aspects Communion and Liberation emphasizes is that God is present and works through the concrete circumstances that are given and placed before us. He explained that as “Mary freely assented to the message of the angel Gabriel and brought the baby Jesus into the world, God continues to remain and be present in the world through the free assent of his followers today.” Afterward copies of the movement’s monthly publication Traces were made available; a magazine that illustrates the experience of those following Communion and Liberation around the world.
As the afternoon winded down and Beginning Day came to an end, many of the families and friends remained together and continued to share the friendship and communion that was lived during the day. Upon returning to our regular daily lives, families, jobs and school work, we take with us this lived experience of friendship and communion knowing that what we lived during the afternoon together does not have to end upon the return to ordinary daily life. The afternoon encounter proposed an answer to the distraction that often drowns our daily lives. He who attracted us during this time together is Someone, Jesus Christ, who we are able to continue to follow through the friends and families that were present that afternoon.